


Taurë ar’ Ored Óre

by Lady_Katana4544



Series: Cast Out [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe, Braids, Cultural Differences, Dain is curious about the She-Elf, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Elflings have nothing on Dwarflings when it comes to pranks, Gen, Hair Braiding, Nori is amused, and Dori is not amused
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-06
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-13 05:41:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4509963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Katana4544/pseuds/Lady_Katana4544
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Little moments (and likely decisions) that may change the course of fate's future not yet set in stone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1. Family Beads

**Author's Note:**

> * This is a side thing to Din Cabed, one shots that didn't make it in or fit into the main story.
> 
> * Italics at the end are a past memory.
> 
> * The title means 'forest and mountain heart'.
> 
> ~*
> 
> Sindarin Elvish words used:
> 
> * Gi hannon - Thank you (informal)
> 
> * Naneth - mother
> 
> * Glassen - You're welcome ("my joy")
> 
> * iell nín - my daughter

“Here.”

She looks up from her contemplation of her elven weapons that had survived the journey from the Greenwood to Erebor to the battle at Moria and then slowly blinks twice at the offering of two silvery blue beads and matching clasps.

Then she looks up to meet Thorin’s tired eyes and spies Dís standing at a table with little Kìli and Fìli, watching them before she turns her attention back to Thorin as she reaches to take the beads, and clasps out of his hand. 

Noting that the beads and clasps have tiny runes etched into them.

“What is this for?”

“To put in your hair.”

Her eyes flick over to the two young Dwarrows with their mother then back again.

“For the boys?”

She watches him shake his head and takes note of the silvery blue beads as well as the clasps that lay within his hair.

“No. My sister has beads and clasps that she will put into her children’s hair in time. These are for you specifically.”

She stares at him, makes herself blink, and then stares again.

“Why me?”

She watches as Thorin stifles a sigh and makes a gesture for her to sit down on a bench instead of remaining standing, so sit she does.

“Did you know that each one of the beads and braids that we put in our hair have meanings?”

Pursing her lips, she shakes her head. No, it was something that she had not known and yet she knew that there were things she had not yet learned of her new people. 

Things that were likely meant to be secret from outsiders.

“These beads and clasps signify that you are a member of the house of Durin and fall under its protection should any try to harm you.”

“They do?”

He nods slightly as a thoughtful look appears on her face for a few moments before she blinks and looks at them then up to him. Her ancient eyes unreadable in that moment as she speaks softly.

“You named me as an Aunt to your nephews. Even when I am not of your bloodline or race.”

“I did yes. Will you let me braid them into your hair?”

“Hold these for a moment while I undo the braid in my hair.”

Silently he holds the beads and clasps in one hand, watching as she quietly unbraids her long silver hair before letting it fall over her right shoulder. Just as silently he sits astride the bench on her left and gingerly places the beads with their clasps back into her hands.

Gently with calloused hands directs her face to look down towards his shoulders and she stares at them as hands bigger and harder than hers take hold of her hair, then slowly begins to braid one bead into the braid now on the right side of her face and attaching the clasp above the bottom strands of the braid.

He examines it his work of the first braid silently before nodding to himself and satisfied with the first braid, he begins work on its copy on the left side of her face.

When he finishes, she takes one long braid in hand and looks at it silently, her eyes stopping on the clasp on the end.

“Do the clasps have a meaning as well?”

He nods slightly, one side of his mouth curling upwards slightly under his beard.

“They do. But you could ask my sister or Balin about them. Do Elves not braid anything into their hair?”

She tilts her head to the side as she considers the question, her eyes taking on a distant look.

“Nay, not usually. Most of my kind don’t follow or keep to this practice that I know of. Perhaps in the older days? Now though…”

Her eyes blink up to him as though they were searching his face for answers he did not give verbally before nodding and takes one of his hands squeezing it gently as she stands up.

“Gi hannon.”

He nods slightly.

0

That night before she retires completely, she puts her hand to one of her new braids her and closes her eyes gently as she allows herself to remember one of the times where her mother had braided her hair before she had left.

_She smiles softly at the older Elf woman in the mirror, standing behind her with her hands on her shoulders._

_“Gi hannon, naneth.”_

_The older Elf smiles warmly in response._

_“Glassen, iell nín.”_


	2. 2. Thrice irak'amad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdul:
> 
> irak'amad ~ aunt

She’s just returned her quarters from hunting outside the mountain and set her weapons down in her room, when she hears the knocking on her door. When she opens it, she finds Thorin there with two other Dwarves.

One of them is holding a young Dwarfling upon further examination.

She looks to Thorin as questions begin to turn faster in her mind.

“Am I needed somewhere, My Lord?”

Thorin shakes his head twice before tilting his head towards the Dwarves with him.

“Nay. However my cousin, Glóin, and his wife, Tánani, asked I bring them to you. There is something they wish to speak with you about?”

She tilts her head in confusion, blinking quickly. Wondering what she might have done, if anything offensive, to them by mistake.

After a moment, she opens the door wider.

“Very well. Please come in then.”

The Dwarrowdam, Tánani she reminds herself, smiles gently at through her red tinted brown beard as she enters the room, her brown eyes looking around before her husband, carrying her young son close to her chest.

She looks from the two Dwarves towards Thorin as he follows them in before closing the door and moving to give them something to drink.

“You don’t have much do you?”

She shakes her head slightly at the question.

“Nay. Save for what I have on me and the weapons I carry or make, I have no need for much. Even in my quarters in the Greenwood, I did not have much time to decorate it.”

The Dwarf woman nods slightly in understanding and a silence fills the room before she feels the need to break it and question them.

“You came to see me for a reason, did you not?”

Thorin’s cousin laughs softly and gives her a look before looking at Thorin.

“You did say the elf was a quick one, cousin. I almost didn’t believe you.”

Thorin smirks at him and she tilts her head slightly, watching them.

“Is there something you wished of me?”

Tánani shrewdly glances at her husband and he nods before turning his attention to her.

“We wish to name you as irak’amad to our son like our leader did with his sister-sons.”

She stares them in shock, not blinking for a long moment and the Dwarves share a look.

“Liasia?”

“Why?”

Thorin releases a soft sigh as Glóin and his wife share a look, they decide to speak.

“We are part of the Line of Durin that you swore yourself too and we wish to honor that swear our way.”

She is silent, clearly thinking it over and Tánani decides to take a chance.

“Here hold my boy.”

She blinks and stares at the young Dwarf in her arms for a long moment as he stares back in surprise.

“Very well.”


	3. 3. Pranking Aftermath

Shock coursing through her, she can only stare at the scene before her.

She can hear Dwarves around her, snorting in amusement and some outright laughing. Dori, she can hear has made a sound of dismay while Glóin laughs with Nori uproariously and Dís snorts around muffled laughter. She notes the absence of Thorin, Dwalin, and Balin as they are trying to appease angry dignitaries.

Four Dwarflings, three of whom are her named nephews - Fíli, Kíli, Ori, and Glóin’s young son, Gimli, stand before them covered in all manner of things; some of which she can safely identify as mud, flour, and what appears to be the remains of feathers.

She blinks at Dís, as the Dwarrowdam comes to stand beside her still grinning.

“I am not sure that I want to know.”

Dís snorts softly and shakes her head.

“Are you certain? It would be a great tale to hear no doubt. My boys appear to be excellent pranksters in the making. Tis a shame though they were caught in the aftermath of their prank.”

She stares at her friend and sword sister in silence nearly missing when young Fíli speaks up for the others.

“They were offering insults against irak’amad and swearing threats to challenge her right to wear the beads of our house. As though they thought she would not understand them.”

The older Dwarves fall silent as she thinks back on which Dwarves had been offering insults or challenges that she might have been ignoring and a protective anger seems to fill the air around them and Nori nods with a frown on his face.

“So you felt the need to avenge your aunt the slights offered against her?”

“Yeah.”

Dori makes a strangled noise.

“Did you have to involve Ori? I just put those new braids this morning!”

“Hey!”

Around her, Dwarves begin shouting and she can only shake her head in fond amusement.

Rigid Elflings who sometimes felt the need to break their moldings for plotting pranks, truly had nothing on young Dwarves who felt protective towards their own.


	4. 4. Conversations I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is set in those early days after the Mountain was lost to the Dragon. The conversation between Dáin and Thorin will be referenced to in a later chapter for Din Cabed.

The Dwarves of the Iron Hills are surprised when word comes to them that a dragon has taken Erebor and the Lonely Mountain from the Longbeards living there. Though he is still too young for the throne yet, Dáin watches with shrewd curious eyes as their Council Elders murmur amongst themselves as his father sends word to their Cousins with offers of assistance.

They are equally surprised when days later, they find the remaining Dwarves of Erebor on their very doorsteps. All of them looking worse for wear, hungry, and in the cases of some who have injuries that need tending though look as if someone has been tending to them already.

Of course his father is quick to send for healers and welcomes King Thror’s family into their mountain as the Elder’s murmurs become louder as the Ereborean Dwarves make a small labyrinth of makeshift tents outside doors to their Kingdom. Of course he doesn’t notice the odd companion keeping to the fringes of the Dwarven camp.

It is only the next day that he notices her.

He’s only just stepped out of the Mountain bringing supplies when he notices the light of the sun reflecting away from something. He hands off his supplies to a waiting Dwarf and goes to investigate.

Surprise flutters in his heart at seeing a She-Elf with silver hair shining like a new found mithril vein standing among the rocks at the edges of the camp, watching the lands beyond the camp. He’s not sure what to make of her; for no Dwarf has ever willing kept company with an Elf to his knowledge and most Dwarves prefer to speak not of the older days when their two races were supposedly on friendly terms.

He blinks himself out of his thoughts and finds in that time that the She-Elf has turned her attention onto him. Perhaps because he had been watching her in turn?

There’s a sound behind him and he whirls around to find his Cousin Thorin standing behind him, watching him. Waiting for his reaction.

“Cousin.”

“Dáin.”

His eyes flick briefly over his shoulders and then come back to meet his gaze.

“I see you have discovered our resident Elf, Cousin.”

“Yeah about that. Why is there a She-Elf among our people? She should be with her own kind!”

“I know not.”

“Thorin.”

“Truly Cousin, I know not why she stays with us. The Elf is not bound any oath to remain with us.”

He turns away from his Cousin to look at the She Elf again.

“I would like to know why she stays with you. But Cousin, you know as well as I that the Elders on my father’s Council won’t like her being here.”

“I know.”

Three days later, their kin leave the Iron Hills for parts unknown and the Elf leaves with them. Something he notes that makes the Elders breathe a sigh of relief.

The next time he sees her again among the Dwarves is at Khazad-dûm. And there’s no chance for him before the battle to find out from Thorin if they have learned anything about the quiet She-Elf.


End file.
